They’ve captivated us with their talent, glamour, and charisma, but beyond the red carpets and global stages, these legendary women retreated to homes that reflected their personalities, tastes, and legacies.
From actress Elizabeth Taylor to music icon Tina Turner, we take a look at the private sanctuaries and lives of the iconic women who defined eras.
Click or scroll through as we step inside their humble (and not-so-humble) abodes…
When this photo was taken of a chic Judy Garland in her bedroom in 1945, the star was living in Los Angeles, California, near the heart of Hollywood. She was under exclusive contract with MGM Studios.
That same year, she married director Vincente Minnelli, her second husband, whom she met while filming Meet Me in St. Louis. After their wedding in June 1945, the couple moved into a home in Benedict Canyon, a neighbourhood in Beverly Hills.
In this sweet photograph from November 1960, Judy Garland is pictured trying a new Dior hat on her 14-year-old daughter, Liza Minnelli, at their home in Chelsea, London.
With homely décor that reflects a quieter side of Garland’s life, far from the bright lights of Hollywood, this intimate scene captures the bond between mother and daughter, two generations of talent sharing a simple moment at home.
Italian actress Sophia Loren has long been hailed as one of the most beautiful women in the world, and one of cinema’s most enduring stars. By 1955, she was well on her way to international fame, captivating audiences with her striking looks and screen presence.
Pictured here during the festive season in 1955, she playfully juggles balloons at her chic home in Rome, offering a rare glimpse into her off-screen personality. Looking glamorous, she reportedly considered the activity a fun way to keep her arms and shoulders toned.
Pictured relaxing in the elegant living room of her Geneva home in 1986, decades into her celebrated career, which saw her win an Academy Award for her role in the 1961 film Two Women, Sophia Loren remains the embodiment of timeless glamour and sophistication.
Surrounded by refined furnishings and classic European décor, the actress appears poised and serene, and wonderfully coordinated in orange.
In 1960, actress Janet Leigh delivered her legendary performance in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller Psycho. The shocking shower scene became one of the film’s most iconic moments. For this role, she won both a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination.
But pictured here in the same year, poolside at their Los Angeles home with actor husband Tony Curtis and daughters Jamie Lee and Kelly, it appears a snapshot of domestic bliss, at least for now. While cracks in their marriage would soon appear, this serene moment captures a golden era in their family life.
1962 marked a significant turning point in Leigh’s personal life, as she divorced Tony Curtis, bringing an end to their marriage of over a decade. Though their union was high-profile, Leigh was also known for her high standards, both on and off-screen. She took pride in their Beverly Hills residence, which was reportedly “furnished like her own dollhouse.”
Pictured here at the tiled, circular table in her living room, script in hand, Leigh’s love of interior design is unmistakable. With coordinating soft furnishings, oversized artwork, and Moroccan-style lighting, it reflects the actress’s meticulous eye for detail.
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A true musical icon, this mid-century house in Inglewood, Los Angeles, was the home of Tina and Ike Turner for most of their well-documented tempestuous relationship, which was also the subject of the 1993 biopic What's Love Got to Do With It?. In fact, many of the scenes were shot in the property.
A true time capsule, the home was put on the market in 2016, with the interior reportedly virtually unchanged since the sellers bought it from the couple in 1977, a year after they started divorce proceedings.
Shown here in happier times, Turner had a brief stint living in London’s Notting Hill. Reportedly, her flat boasted a spa-like bathroom with gilded touches, as well as this striking stained-glass window.
The American star felt most at home in Europe and went on to marry her second husband, German music executive Erwin Bach, in 1985, where they happily settled just outside Zurich in Switzerland.
Having just $1 to her name following her divorce from Ike, the star had a net worth of $250 million (£184m) at the time of her death in 2023.
Elizabeth Taylor was as famous for her love life as her acting career, having been married eight times to seven different men. Here, she’s pictured with Barbara Walters, in April 1977, who interviewed the actress and her new husband, John Warner, at the kitchen table of their rural farmhouse in Virginia.
Having met Warner on a blind date, Taylor helped Warner win the election to the U.S. Senate. However, she soon found that political life was too constricting, especially when it meant leaving behind the farmhouse she had grown to love.
Fast forward to 1985, and a still-glamorous Elizabeth Taylor is seen in the kitchen of her Bel Air home, receiving a culinary lesson from chef Nick Grippo. With its tiled countertops and rich dark-wood cabinetry, the space is classically mid-80s, but, like Taylor herself, undeniably striking.
The Cleopatra star had shifted her focus from the silver screen to television, appearing in the biopic Malice in Wonderland. 1985 also marked the beginning of her humanitarian legacy. In the wake of her friend Rock Hudson’s death, Taylor co-founded the American Foundation for AIDS.
When she died in 2011, she was reportedly worth up to $1 billion, which is around $1.4 billion (£1bn) in today’s money.
Swiss-American actress Ursula Andress is best known for being the very first Bond girl, Honey Ryder in the James Bond film Dr. No. Her emergence from the sea in a white bikini became one of the most legendary moments in cinema history. By the early 1960s, she had become the epitome of a classic Hollywood star, living and working in Los Angeles at the height of her fame.
Off-screen, the star was often linked to male icons of the time, like Marlon Brando, but by the 70s, she had moved away from the limelight somewhat. Here she’s captured in 1978 at her home in Ibiza, a rare and intimate glimpse of the actress in her Mediterranean sanctuary.
As the years progressed, Andress gradually traded the glamour of Hollywood for a more secluded, soulful lifestyle. In the 1970s, Andress relocated to this villa in Es Cubells, Ibiza, a serene and exclusive enclave on the island's southern coast.
In this photo, taken in her living room, the interiors reflect the classic island aesthetic, with statement details like giant ornamental lions, white walls, and bohemian furnishings.
Pictured here in 1984, in the coordinating and floral bedroom of her Belgravia, London home, Joan Collins was in the throes of her Dynasty fame, captivating global audiences as the scheming Alexis Carrington. Her portrayal had already earned her a Golden Globe that cemented her as a television icon.
Collins purchased her flat in the late 1980s, having viewed around 60 others before choosing one located near the West End theatres. She’s lived in the upscale area for around 30 years, including 20 years with her husband, actor and producer Percy Gibson, whom she married in 2002.
Looking every inch like her iconic alter ego Alexis Carrington, Joan Collins embraced real-life glamour in 1986, when she purchased a 'Dynasty-type' mansion in Beverly Hills, after owning a smaller property in the Beverly Hills Post-Office area. The sprawling 1960s estate was bought for her and her then-partner, Peter Holm, during the height of her Dynasty fame.
Fast-forward to today, and the actress boasts a formidable property portfolio, including her Belgravia apartment in London, a home on Beverly Hills’ Wilshire Corridor, and a sun-soaked holiday retreat in the south of France.
In 1984, Oprah took the reins of the struggling morning show AM Chicago in Chicago. Her star quality quickly turned the programme into a local sensation, with Oprah at the helm, ratings soared.
This success led to a significant change in 1985: the show was rebranded as The Oprah Winfrey Show. Here, she’s relaxing in her home-from-home studio office, following a morning broadcast in December 1985.
Also in 1985, the rising star relaxes, feet up, at her home in Chicago. The Oprah Winfrey Show debuted in September of the following year, and the rest is history.
During its 25-year run, it became the highest-rated daytime talk show in television history, contributing to the host's incredible $3 billion (£2.2bn) net worth and incredible property portfolio, including her Promised Land estate in Montecito, California.
1985 also marked Oprah’s film debut, in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple. Her powerful portrayal earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Queen of soul Aretha Franklin is seen in her West Bloomfield, Michigan home in 1986 with MTV’s Alan Hunt and members of the “Muck in America” crew.
Known for her powerhouse voice and regal presence on stage, Franklin reveals a playful, down-to-earth side in this candid moment in her home.
A rare glimpse behind the legend, it captures the joy and humour that accompanied her extraordinary talent. Aretha reportedly even made homemade chilli and performed on her piano.
Pictured decades later in 2010, Franklin poses for a portrait in Philadelphia. The star rose to fame in the 1960s with powerful hits like 'Respect' and 'Natural Woman', becoming a voice of both musical excellence and civil rights.
Celebrated for her grace and strength, Franklin passed away at her Detroit home on August 16, 2018. Stevie Wonder was among those who visited her in her final days.
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